14, 15. Angel or Meffenger what the World was to know, and acted as an Apostle, as One fent to interpret the divine Will, as our Lord Himself has testify'd, he that heareth me, heareth Mat.10.40. Him that fent me. The fame is also evident from the Mofaick Writings, where we have thefe Words, And the Angel of God Spake unto Exod. 3.2, Mofes in a Flame of Fire out of the midst of a Bush, and faid, I am that I am, the God of Abraham, the God of Ifaack, and the God of Jacob, the God of your Fathers, go down into Egypt, and bring up my People from thence. If you are defirous of knowing what follows, I must refer you to the Scriptures themselves, for 'tis not poffible to transcribe all into a Difcourfe of this Nature. LXXXII. But these Words were spoken to demonstrate the Son of God and Apostle, to be our Jefus Chrift, who is the very pre-existing Logos; who appear'd fometimes in the Form of Fire; fometimes in the Likeness of Angels, and in these last Days was made Man by the Will of God, for the Salvation of Mankind, and was contented to fuffer what the Devils cou'd inflict upon Him, by the infatuated Jews; who notwithstanding they have thefe exprefs Words in the Writings of Mofes, And the Angel of the Lord Spake with Mofes in a Flame of Fire out of the Bush, and said, I am that I am, the Self-exiftent, the God of Abraham, the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob; notwithstand cap. 3. v.1. from whence he juftly concludes, that this Epistle was known to, and approved by Juflin Martyr. ing this, I say, they affirm these Words to be spoken by God the Father, and Maker of all things. For which overfight the Prophetick Spirit thus charges 'em, Ifrael hath not known me, my People have not understood me; and as I have faid, Jefus taxed 'em again for the fame thing, while He was amongst them, No Man hath known the Father but the Son, nor the Son, but them to whom, the Son will reveal Him. The Jews therefore for maintaining that it was the Father of the Univerfe who had the Conference with Mofes, when it was the very Son of God who had it, and who is styl'd both Angel and Apostle, are juftly accus'd by the prophetick Spirit, and Chrift Himself, for knowing neither the Father nor the Son; for they who affirm the Son to be the Father, are guilty of not knowing the Father, and likewife of being ignorant that the Father of the Universe has a Son, who being the Logos, and First-begotten of God, is God. And He it is who heretofore appear'd to Mofes and the rest of the Prophets, fometimes in Fire, and fometimes in the Form of Angels: But now, under your Empire, as I mention'd, was born of a Virgin, according to the Will of His Father, to fave fuch as fhould believe in Him, and was content to be made of no Reputation, and to suffer, that by His Death and Refurrection He might conquer Death. And m Who being the Logos, and First-begotten of God, Deds iæágX, is God.] I defire to know what the worft of Juftin's Adverfaries can fay to this, whether Words can be more exprefs for the Divinity of the Son, than eès dex, He is the very God. whereas whereas it was said to Mofes out of the Bush, I am that I am, the God of Abraham, the God of Ifaac, the God of Jacob, and the God of your Fathers. The Defign of these Words is to prove, that notwithstanding these Men were dead, yet were they in a State of Happiness; and that Chrift is the God of these Men, and their mighty Deliverer: For these Men of Old fequefter'd themselves from the World, to seek after God; and as Mofes relates, Abraham was the Father of Ifaac, and Isaac the Father of Jacob. LXXXIV. Moreover, that it was a Contrivance of the Devils to erect the Image of Cure upon Fountains of Water, whom they reported to be Jove's Daughter, to ape Mofes, you may easily collect from what I have quoted before; In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth, and the Earth was without Form, and the Spirit of God moved upon the Face of the Waters. In Imitation of this Spirit moving upon the Waters, they fet up the Idol Core, or Proferpina upon the Waters, and gave her out to be the Daughter of Jove. Juft fuch another Forgery was the setting up Minerva for Jove's Daughter, not by any carnal Mixture, but because they found that God reflecting upon Himself made the World by His Logos or Wisdom, they fram'd this Minerva to be the Iffue of Jove's Brain, or his Firstbegotten Notion. Tho' I cannot but think it extremely ridiculous to reprefent the Notion of a Mind by the Form of a Woman. In like manner, the Actions which are attributed to the Sons of Jove, evidently proves the Sons to be of the fame Stamp with the Daughters. LXXXV. After the Believer is baptized, and fo incorporated or made one with us, we lead him to the Congregation of the Brethren, as we call them, and then with great Fervency pour out our Souls in Common " Prayers both for our * Κοινὰς ευχὰς ποιησάμβυοι παν]αχε πάντων ευζόνως. ] They are called Common Prayers, because the whole Congregation did joyn with the Bishop in them. This therefore must be a fer Form of Prayer, or elfe they could nor joyn in it; and therefore St. Cyprian Speaking of the Lord's Prayer, which was that Form which the whole Congregation repeated together, fays, Publica eft nobis & communis Oratio, A publick and common Prayer is in ufe among us. Cypr.de Orat. Domin. What this Form of Prayer was, Juftin does not tell us, but he tells us in general, That they pray'd for themselves, for the Perfon baptiz'd, and for all others all the World over, &c. More Particulars of this Liturgy you may fee quoted out of the Apoftolick Conftitutions by Dr. Grabe in his Notes upon this Place. But I observe that Ireneus is as hy as Juftin, of publifhing the Forms in any of the Chriftian Offices, tho' he fpeaks both of Baptifm, and of the Eucharift, and of the Prayers and Praises there in general: Only when fome Hereticks had drawn false Conclufions from the Doxology to fupport their own Opinions he is forc'd to fay, ̓Αλλὰ καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τ ευχαρισίας λέγοντας, εἰς τὰς αἰῶνας 3 αιώνων, They alledge that we in our Thanksgivings do fay World without end, Iren. adv. her. 1. 1. c. 1. p. 16. From hence we may conclude, that in Irenaus's time, An. D.179, the Chriftians praised God in Publick by this very Form which we now ufe, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghoft As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, World without end. Amen. And Tertullian, in his Apology, frequently fays, We pray for the Emperors and their Minifters, for fecular Potentates, &c. And Clemens fays, Let the Deacon pray for the Univerfal Church, the whole World, for the Priests and Governors, for the Chief Priests and Kirgs, and the general Peace. Conftit. l. 2. c. 51. And to mention but one more: Cyril, declaring the Practice of his time at the Celebration of the Eucharift, fays thus, duoiας ἐκείνης τὸ ἱλασμό, &c. Over this propitiatory Sacrifice we call upon God for the general Peace of all Churches, for the Tranquillity of the World, for Emperors, their Armies, and all that fight for them. Catech. 10. Now that which I wou'd infer from thefe Quotations, is this, That the Primitive Fathers could not have infifted upon thefe our felves, for the Perfon baptiz'd, and for all others all the World over; that having embrac'd the Truth, our Converfation might be as becometh the Gofpel, and that we may be found Doers of the Word, and fo at length be fav'd with an everlasting Salvation. Prayers being over we falute each other with a Kifs: After this, Bread and a Cup of Wine and Water are brought to the President P or Bishop, which thefe Particulars, as a Proof of the Chriftian Loyalty, and univerfal Charity, if they had not conftantly made thefe things the Subjects of their Prayers; and if they had us'd no ftated Forms, Extempore Prayers had been too various and uncertain, to have been a Proof in this, or any other Cafe. •The afara or Love-Feafts, which at firft were always joyn'd with the Eucharift, degenerating into Abuse and Scandal, (which were the Spots perhaps St. Jude alludes to) were foon laid afide in the Greek Church, and probably in the time of Juftin, because he fays nothing of 'em, and the Lord's Supper celebrated in the Morning fafting. Tho' 'tis certain these Feafts continued in the African Church till Tertullian's time, as you will find in his Apology, c. 39. However, that the Bleffed Communion might ftill lay claim to the Title of a Love-Feaft, it was attended with Ceremonies of the like import; whence upon the Entrance into this Holy Mystery the Deacon was appointed to cry aloud, un 75 x Tiv, let no Man be at Strife, one with another. And this Proclamation once paft, the holy Kifs and Embraces immediately followed, daańaus φιλήματι ασπαζόμεθα παυσάμενοι της ευχῶν, that is, Prayers ended, we falute one another with an holy Kifs; but danhaos oi äve Sees, anλnnas ai waînes, Men falute Men, and Women Women, and the Clergy the Bishop, as the Conftitutions have it, lib. 2. c. 57. And it cou'd not indeed be well otherwife, confidering the diffe rent Apartments in the, Church for each Sex. Conft. Apoft. lib. 2. cap. 57. - Έπιλα προσφέρει το προεςῶτι τ ἀδελφῶν.] The προσή ss, and the Probati Seniores in Tertullian, Apol. c..39. and the Ma jores Natu in St. Cyprian, Epist. 75. were undoubtedly Bishops, and fo the oi Tegas@TES EGGUTEgor in St. Paul, 1 Tim. 5. 17. which we tranflate, tho' I think not well, Ruling Elders, were the fame with wegesa's in Juftin; fuch Elders as had the Power Baptizandi & manuum imponendi & ordinandi, of baptizing, confirming, and ordaining, as Cyprian affures us, Privileges never pretended to at that I 2 time |